WORKSAFEBC EMPLOYER REIMBURSEMENT APPLICATIONS FOR COVID-19 SICK-LEAVE AVAILABLE ONLINE JUNE 15 The provincial government has announced more support for workers affected by COVID-19. Workers are now entitled to three days of paid sick leave if they have symptoms of the COVID-19 virus, are in isolation, or have been tested and are waiting for the results. Employers are responsible for full- and part-time pages during this period, but the government will reimburse employers up to $200 per day, provided those employers do not have a sick leave program in place at their business. Beginning June 15, employers can visit WorkSafeBC’s website at worksafebc.com/ en/covid-19/covid-19-paid-sick-leave-reimbursement-program for the full details and to access the application to receive reimbursement through the online services portal. Sick leave that is eligible for reimbursement must have been taken between May 20 and the program’s end date, December 31. This program falls outside of workers’ compensation and will not impact an employer’s premiums or accident fund. To access reimbursement, employers must be registered and current with WorkSafeBC insurance coverage, and they must be signed up for WorkSafeBC’s employer online services. The COVID-19 sick leave program is intended to provide financial security to workers in the time period between feeling
unwell and when they are eligible to access the federal Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, which provides four weeks wage support to individuals who miss work because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Unfortunately, the federal program has been difficult to access for workers,” Premier John Horgan told The Vancouver Sun in May. “No one should have to make that difficult choice between staying home when they’re sick or going into work because they have an economic imperative to do so.” The federal program only supports workers who are working fewer than 50 percent of their scheduled working hours per week. Once it kicks in, it provides $500 for a one-week period, up to a maximum four weeks. Individuals accessing the program must renew their application weekly. Amendments to British Columbia’s Employment Standards Act enabled the employee sick leave legislation, and as of January 1, 2022, the province’s legislation will also include a permanent paid sick leave for workers who cannot work due to any illness or injury. So far, the construction industry seems supportive of the program, though association leads like Chris Atchison, president of the BC Construction Association, and Dave Baspaly, president of the Council of Construction Associations, told The Journal www.sheetmetaljournal.com • Spring 2021
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